Collapsible shipping crate



April 2l, 1925. 1,534,672

- A. J. STEWART COLLAPSIBLE SHIPPING CRATE Filed. OCT.. 29 1923 B a y Z,

Cab

Patented Apr. 21, 1925.

ARTHUR J'. STEWART, OF ST. LOUIS, IVIISSURI.

COLLAPSIBLE SHIPPING CRATE.

Application filed Gctcber 29, 1923. Serial No. 671,323.

T all 11i/10m t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ARTHUR J. STEWART, a subject o't the IIing of Great Britain, residing at the city of St. Louis, in the State ot' Missouri, have invented. certain new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Shiplgiing Crates, of which the following is a specilication, reference being had therein to,

the accompanying drawing.

My inventionrelates to improvements in collapsible shipping crates, and has for its object to provide a crate for poultry and the like, of light, strong and rigid construction, folding into compact dimensions for return shipment as an empty, and having one or more partitions so detachably mounted in its interior, as tobe readily unseated and removed to permit the ioor of the crate to be cleansed. Other incidents of my invention embraces a two-part cover, each part being so hinged as to be opened by either a swinging or sliding movement; hand-open ings in said cover having sealing-means; and latching and locking means for the parts composing the cover.

Dra/wings.

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of the latch securing the cover-parts together.

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is an elevation of a fragment of the removable partition in place.

Fig. 10 is a sectional detail on the line 10-10 of Fig. 9.

Description.

As shown in the drawings, I employ a base-member 11 formed of a single sheet of suitable material and having its longer parallel edges folded as indicated at 12 to form a seat and support for the side-wallfraine 13.

Y The told 12 terii'iinates in the lip 14, from which tongues 15 project, said tongues 15 being curved to form loops engaging with eyes 16 formed in the bottom of the traine 13, as shown in Fig. V4, to hinge said frame 13 to the bottom 11. A lattice 17 is mounted in the frame 13, as shown in F ig. 1.

The vertical flange 1S (see Fig. carries the pins 19 which serve as a hinge for the end-frames 2() carrying lattices 21 and having their ends formed of angle-bars 22, whose outer flanges 23 embrace the vertical anges 18 ot' the bottom 11 when the crate is in the collapsed position illustrated in Fig. 2.

The iianges ..3 carry pins 24 seated in slots 25 termed in the side-flanges 26 of the cover-sections A and B, to provide hingedand-sliding engagement between the endtranies 2O and said cover-sections A and B. The cover-section A has the angle-bar 27 and the cover-section B has the angle-bar 28, mounted at their adjacent ends, as shown in Fig. 7, the partition 29 being seated between them as shown in said Fig. 7; said sections A and I3 being secured together by the spring-latch 30, mounted in the bracket 31 formed on the bar 32, which bar 32 is lixed upon the upper face of the angle 27.'

The partition 29 is provided on its lower edge with lugs 33 engaging with slots 34 in the bottom 11; and is held in vertical position by notches 35 cut in the top flanges 36 of the side-wall frames 13 (see Fig. 4).

The cover-sections A and B are each provided with longitudinal slats 37 and transveise slats 38, and a hand-hole 39 having a hinged cover 40 provided with a seal 41.

The spring-latch 30 may be secured in closed position by means ot' the seal 42.

The contents of the crate having been removed, the crate is collapsed as follows.

The partition 29 is lifted from its seated engagement with the bottom 11 and sideframes 13 and laid iiat in the interior, upon the bottom 11.

The side frames 13 are folded inwardly to rest flat within the vertical flanges 18. v

Thereupon the end-frames 2O are folded inwardly until they rest flat upon the tops of the vertical flanges 18. This movement of the end-frames 20 will carry the pins 24-24 inwardly and toward each other, at the same ,time drawing the cover-sections A and B down into position upon the tops of the endframes 20.

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. As a new article of manufacture, a eollapsible shipping crate comprising a bottom, side-frames hinged to said bottom; endtrames also hinged to said bottom forming supports for said side-trames; and two cover-sections having` hinged-and-sliding engagement with the tops of said end-frames and having depending side-flanges arranged to engage with the bottom when in collapsed position.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a eol lapsible shipping crate comprising a bottom, side-'trames hinged to said bottom; endrames also hinged to said bottom forming supports for said side-frames; two coversections having hingedandsliding engagement. with the tops ot' said end-'frames and having depending` side-langes arranged to engage the bottom when in collapsed position; in combination with a Vertical partition detachably secured to the bottom and side frames when the crate is in expanded condition.

As a new article of manufacture, a eollapsibleshipping crate comprising a bottom, Sidefframes hinged to said bottom; endtrames also hinged to said bottom forming supports for said side-frames; two coversections having hinged-and-sliding engagement with the tops of said end-frames and having depending side-flanges arranged to engage with the bottom when in collapsed position; in combination with means for locking the crate in expanded condition comprising a latch securing the meeting edges of said cover-sections.

ln testimony whereof I have hereunto atlixed my signature.

ARTHUR J. STEVART. 

